Vehicle-wheel.



No. 812,563, PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906 M..'G. HEITZ-BOYER' VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

ATTIJR/VES No. 812,563. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

M. G. HEITZ-BOYER. 'VEHIGLE WHEEL. APPLICATION PIIEDJULY25,1905.

s sums-anam- 3.

' of the blocks or boxes.

MAURICE GEORGES HEITZ-BOYER, OFPARIS, FRANCE VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed July 25, 1905. Serial No. 271,213.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURIoE GEORGES HEITZ-BOYER, a citizen of the Republic of France, and aresident of Paris ,in said Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a wheel with a flexible or spring rim, which renders it unnecessary to make use of pneumatic tires, which present serious drawbacks due to their being so easily damaged by puncture, bursting, &c., and to their wearing out quickly when carrying heavy loads.

The above mentioned drawbacks are avoided in the wheel with flexible or spring rim according to this invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the Wheel. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectlon on the line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail tiew, on a larger scale, of two adjacent elements of the rim with their connecting device. Fig. 4- is aplan thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the plunger device, and Fig. 6 shows a modified construction.

The end of each of the spokes a, connected to the hub, engages in a socket b, the bottom of which is provided with a ta ped hole, which is so arranged that when t e wheel is being erected it coincides with one of the holes made in a metal ring or inner rim 0. Theholes in this ring are plain, so that pins .10 studs d, secured in the tapped holes of the sockets b, can pass through the said plain holes. As shown in Fig. 1, leaf-springsf are inclosed between the heads 1 of the pins d and the ring 0.

The rim roper chiefly comprises a part g, having such cross-section that it can receive on the outer surface a solid or cushion rubber or leather tire and on the inner side blocks or shoes 71, provided with pivoted bottom plates 6, to which are hooked the bent ends of the large blades of the leaf-springs). These blades rest, through the intermediary of the plates 6, on small carriages or slides provided with a number of rollers Z, owing to which the carriages can move to and fro on the bottom In the event of a shock two small helical springs act on the frames 2 and replace them in their original position if they have moved.

The tire is completed by two metal or other lateral walls n 0. One wall n is secured, by means of screws or rivets, to the rim 9, Fig. 2,

while in order to enable repairs to be exeeral walls n and 0.

cuted the other wall 0 is made removable by means of nuts p, which secure it to the other side of the rim 9 and can be easily removed.

sliding during the rotation of the wheel, on

the inner wall of the rim 9 a device is provided for jamming the blocks against the lat- The rim is therefore caused to participate in the movement, both owing to the'adhesion of the bottom of the blocks to the inner wall of the rim and by the jamming of the lateral faces of the said blocks against the sides of the latter. The jamming device is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

For this purpose to the head 1 of each spoke is attached a system of toggle rods or links 2 2 3 3 in oppositely-directed pairs, each of which links is provided with an elongated opening, through which passes a spindle 4. One pair of rods 2 2 is hinged'to the lefthand block and the other pair 3 3 .to the right-hand block. The blocks 71, Figs. 3 and 4, are made in two longitudinal parts 'i and i, connected together merely by end pins 5 5, with which the outer ends of the links engage and on which pins the two parts i i can move laterally. These'parts i i can therefore be moved away from each other, (by means of a device hereinafter described,) so as to produce jamming against the sides of the rim.

The rollers Z, on which the spring-plates 6 rest, are rovided with a central groove Z,

secured to one of the parts i of the block and the object of which is to guide the carriage at a suitable distance from the longitudinal edges of the block, the said edges being capable of moving apart or nearer together.

The moving apart of the'two parts a" i, of

the block is effected in the following manner:

On the pin 5, on which are mounted the outer ends of one pair of links 2 2, is arranged between the said links a clutch-sleeve-7, which is provided on one side at 8 with ratchetteethengaging with corresponding teeth on a second s eeve 9, secured to one of the links 2. The first-named sleeve 7 is connected by an with whic engages a longitudinal projection 7 ITO arm 10 to a piston or ,plunger, Fig. 5, which can move in a cylinder 11, where it is exposed to the action of a spring and forms a plunger device. The cylinder 11 can swing on two pivots, which loosely engage holes in the links 2 and 2. The arm 10 is provided with an angularly-adjustable extension 10, to which is secured the plunger device just mentioned and a leaf-spring 1 2, bearing against the part 9 of the rim.

When one leaf-springf of. the wheel yields, the'corresponding pin 4 is lowered and causes the toggle links 2 '2' to participate in its movement. At the beginning of that movement the arm 10 is also caused to move, and the two clutch-sleeves 7 and 9 rotate about the link-pin 5, while remaining in engagement with each other. As soon as the spring-blade 12 as it is compressed against the bottom of the rim begins to exerc1se on the arm 10 a greater pressure than that exercised in the opposite direction on thesame arm by the spring of the intermediate plunger device the arm 10 stops and only the cylinder 11 'continues to descend relatively to the plunger, while the spring of the plunger device is compressed. sleeve 7 standing still and the link 2 contributing, on the contrary, to the descent by still continuing. to turn the fixed clutch-sleeve 9, the two sleeves will move away from each other, owing to the shape of their teeth. During this movement one clutch-sleeve 7 will push one part i of the block out laterally in the direction of the arrow 90, Fig. 4, and the other sleeve 9 will push the other part *5 of the block in the direction of the arrow y, Fig. 4. The clearance existing during the position of rest between the edges of the rim and the sides of the block being limited, the block will become jammed against the sides of the rim. In these conditions the driving of the rim will be effected not only b the adhesion ofthe blocks to the bottom of the rim, but also by the jamming of the said blocks against its sides.

The extension 10 of the arm 10, secured to the clutch-sleeve 7, is adjustably connected to said arm by a pin passing through a hole in one of the parts andenga ing with a recess in theother. In' this way't e inclinationof the arm 10 can be regulated as desired by pivotally adjusting said extension and the moment at which the two clutches move apart determined. When after a prolonged use these clutches-have beome sli htly worn, a suitable adjustment will ena le the wear to be compensated. i

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 6 the spokes are constituted b tubes 13, arranged between the hub and t e ring or inner rim 0, andiu each spoke moves a piston 14, provided at its outer end with a plate 15, travel- .ing on the rollers of a carriage 16, arranged.

in the block 17. The blocks 17 are connect- The arm 10, as well as the clutch-' ed to plates or disks 18, mounted'onthe' outer ends of the tubes 13, forming the cylinders of the pistons, by means of toggle'links 19' 19, which'cross each other in pairs in the manner shown in the drawings A helical spring 20is inserted in each of the tubular spokes between the piston 14 and the bottom 13 of the of the wheel in contact with the ground and in the adjoining portions. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent a 1. In a vehicle wheel, the combination, with a rim, of a plurality of blocks bearing against the same, toggle-links connecting certain of said blocks at either side thereof, and spokes forming in connection with said links -a plurality of toggle-j oints.

2. In a vehicle-wheel, in. combination, with the rim, a plurality of blocks bearing against the same, toggle-links connecting certain of said blocks, and spokes directly connected with the joints of said toggle-links.

3. The combination, with the rim and the spokes, of shoes or blocks movable longitudinally to the former and disposed toward and between the latter, and toggle links connecting adjacent shoes and having their intermediate joints connected to the spokes.

4. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a rim 9, shoes i bearing against the same between the spokes, carriages or slides 6 movable longitudinally to said shoes, leaf-springs f connecting adjacent carriages, toggle-links connecting said shoes, and to said leaf-s rings 'interme the same an to the intermediate joints of said togglelinks. e j

I 5. In a vehicle-Wheel, the combination, with the inner and outer rims, of shoes diss okes. attached d? posed between said rims and bearing againstthe outer rim, toggle-links connecting adja cent shoes, slides, movable longitudinally to said shoes, springs connecting adjacent slides, and spokes protruding into. the space be: tween said rims and bearing against the intermediate joints of saidtoggle-links.

6. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination with a rim having side portions, of a plurality of blocks or shoes movable lon itudinally thereto and each divided longitu inally into sections, toggle-links connecting certain of said blocks or shoes, spokes forming in connection with said links a plurality of togglejoints, and means governed by the movement of said links for laterally separating said block-sections and forcing the same against the sidesof said rim.

7. In a vehicle-wheel with a rim having side walls, of a plurality of ately between the combination blocks or shoes bearing against said rim at the face thereof which is disposed toward the hub, each of said blocks being divided longitudinally into sections, toggle-links connecta plura 'ty of toggle-j oints, transverse sleeves carried by each of .said block-sections, thesleeves of the sectionsof-the same. block having cooperating cam-faces, and springs acting thereof.

on the sleeve of one block-section of eachblock for limiting the angular movement In testimony whereof I have signed this 15 specification in the presence of two' subscrib.

v ing witnesses.

. MAURICE GEORGES IHEITZ-BOYER.

Witnesses EMILE LEDRET, H. .COXE'. 

